Automobile-engine-starting means



S. B. McHENRY. AUTOMOBILE ENGINE STARTING MEANS.

APPLICATION-FILED APR. 1 8, 1919.

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Patented J an. 27, 1920.

S. B. McHENRY. AUTOMQBILE ENGINE STARTING MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I8, 1919.

Patented Jan. 27, 1920 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- avwm to:

S. B. McHENRY.

AUTOMOBILE ENGINE STARTING MEANS. MPPLICATION men APR. I8. 1919.

1,329,091 Patented Jan. 27, 1920.

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fl y 7 g l 2a 6 *0 El Eli/6 uarantor, ,Sf Eifllfien1ry nnitrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL B. McHENR-Y, BLOOMSBURG. PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOlVIOBlLE-ENGENE-STARTING MEANS.

Application filed April 18,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, um B. MoHnN-nr, a citizen of the United States, residing Bloomsburg. in the county of Columbia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automobile- Engine-Starting Means. of which the following is a specification.

The general object of my present invention is the provision in an organized mechanisn'i readily applicable to an automobile, of means actuatable from a drivers seat for putting a spring under tension, means under the control of the driver for simultaneously engaging the cranking member with the engine shaft and with a spring-driven member, and means for holding the cranking member against rotation while the spring is being put under the requisite tension, and for suddenly releasing the cranking member so as to enable the spring to exert its full power thereagainst, the latter means being also under the control of the driver. Therefore in the operation of my improvement the driver, without leaving his seat in the car, first draws the cranking member rearwardly to clutch it to the engine shaft and gear it to the spring-driven member, then locks the cranking member against rotation to prevent turning thereof while the spring-is being wound or placed under tension, and then winds or places the spring under sufficient tension for starting purposes. Manifestly after the said manio r lation including the tensioning of the spring, the cranking member may be held against rotation for any desired period. When, however, the cranking member is unlocked, the same will be instantaneously and powerfully rotated for the starting of the engine. Incidental to the starting of the engine, the cranking member will be kicked forward and out of engagement or connection with the spring-driven member. In the event of back firing the only effect will be to tighten. the spring.

Another object ofthe invention is the provision of means for the. purpose described equipped with appurtenances whereby the same may be inexpensively and expeditiously applied to the automobiles such as present in use.

To the attainment of the foregoing the Specification of Letters Patent.

lSlS. Serial No. 291,087.

invention consists in the peculiar combina- In the accompanying d "awings, hereby made a part hereof:

Figure 1 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal vertical section showing the application of my improvements to an automobile.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation.

Fig. 3 is a view showing the locking means as idle.

Fig. 4. is a similar view showing the locking means at work.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of said means.

Fig; 6 is a detailperspective showing the mounting of the lever for operating the locking means.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail transverse section showing the mounting of the means for-tensioning the spring.

Fig. 8 shows the spring mounting and connections.

Fig. 9 is a perspective showing the bearing member of the shaft 'of the springdriven member.

Fig. 10 is a detail plan with the cranking member in idle position.

Fig. 11 is a detail side elevation illustrative of the manner in which the lever for putting the cranking member in working position is held against casual. movement or shaking.

Similar numerals of corresponding parts in the drawings.

By reference to Fig. 1 it willbe observed that 1 is the floor, and 2 the footboard of an automobile, the floor bein slotted at At l is the cranking member having a handle 5' and alsohaving a' spur gear 6' and a clutch element 7, the latter for: engage ment with a complementary elemention the engine shaft in the ordinary Well known manner. The member 4 is normally and yieldingly maintained in theposition shown inFigs. l and 10 by a spring 8.. For'the' rearward movement of the cranking member 4, I'provide a hand lever 9'1nountedabove the foot-board 2 and having its: lower arm connected through a rod 10 with the rear reference designate all of the vlews of said member 17 as illustrated.

portion of the member 4, preferably in the manner best shown in Fig. 10, so that the rod will not interfere in any de ree with the rotation of the member 4. lhe hand lever 9 is fulcrumed on a standard 11, and the lower end of said lever bears on a spring 12, Figs. 1 and 11. The said spring 12 is of such character as to hold the cranking member 4 in its rear position, notwithstanding the tendency of the spring 8, and while the spring 12 will permit movement of the lever 9 when the cranking member 4 is forced forwardly incidental to the starting of the engine, the said spring 12 may be depended upon to hold the lever 9 against rattling or casual movement.

The spring-driven member of the improved mechanism comprises a spur gear 13 and a shaft section 14, the latter being carried in a bearing member 15, Fig. 9, that is shackled at 16 to the chassis member 17 and is provided at its end remote from said shackle with a stirrup 18 that receives the From this it will be manifest that the spring-driven member may be expeditiously and inexpensively installed on a, machine in proper relation to the cranking member 4. At its rear end the shaft 14 is provided with a knuckle 19, and connected through a universal joint 20 with the said knuckle 19 is a short shaft section 21. 'A similar shaft section 22 is connected through a universal joint 23 with a rearwardly extending and comparatively long shaft 24. The spring 25 is connected at its ends to the shaft sections 21 and 22 and in part surrounds the said shaft sections, and interposed between and alined with the shaft sections 21 and 22 is a wooden core or rod 26 which serves to prevent undue winding and spoiling of the spring 25. I prefer to use a wooden core or rod 26 for the purpose stated, because of the lightness and cheapness of the thing. At 27 the shaft 24 is disposed in a bearing that is fixed in any approved manner with respect to the chassis.

The universal joints are provided in order to accommodate my improvements to the engine, and it will be readily understood that notwithstanding the employment of the universal joints, winding or tensioning of the spring 25 will attend rotation of the shaft 24 in the proper direction about its axis, and thatwhen the spring expands it will impart rotary motion to the shaft 14 and the gear 13 of the spring-driven member. At 28 the shaft is journaled in a fixed bearin and at 29 in rear of said bearing, the said shaft is equipped with a ratchet. For the purpose of ready installation the bearing 28 is inthe form of a strap, Fig. 7; the said strap being fixed at its inner end to a part of the casing and being coupled at its outer end to an adjacent chassis-beam 30. Also connected with the said chassis-beam 30 is a connected to the machine frame.

pawl 31 which is subject to the action of the spring 32 and is adapted to permit rotation of the ratchet 29 in one direction while effectually preventing retrograde rotation of said ratchet. F ulcrumed on the shaft 24 and arranged to play or swing transversely in a slot 33 in the floor 1, is a lever 34, the upper portion of which is adapted to normally rest on the floor 1, Fig. 7, and is provided with a hand-grasp 35. Carried by the said lever 34 is a dog 36, opposed. to the ratchet 29. Manifestly movement of the lever 35 toward the left in Fig- 7 will be attended by rotation of the ratchet 29 and shaft 24 in the same direction, so that when the gears 13 and 6 are in mesh and the gear 6 is locked against rotation, the spring will be wound or put under tension. It will also be manifest, because of the resiliency of the dog 36 the same will ride idly over the teeth of the ratchet 29 when the lever 34 is swung or moved toward the right in F ig. 7. V

Secured by shackles 40 or other suitable means to the chassis member 17 and disposed under said member is a plate 41, Figs. 2-5, which is bifurcated at its forward end as indicated by 42. At its rear end the said plate 41 is provided with an upwardly-reaching portion 43, and the said upright portion 43 merges into a rearwardly directed portion 44. F ulcrumed at 45 to a hanger 0n the plate 41 is a locking lever 46 on the forward portion of which is an arm 47 that reaches upwardly through the bifurcation 42 and is toothed at 48 to cooperate with the teeth of the spur gear 6. When the spring 25 is Wound or put under tension and the gears 13 and 6 are in mesh, the tendency is to turn the gear 6 anti-clockwise, and when the locking lever 46 is connected with said gear 6, the tendency is to thrust the arm 47 of the lever 46 in the same direction. To resist this I prefer to provide the plate 41 at the left-hand side of the bifurcation 42 with an upstanding flange 50, Figs. 2 and 5. At its rear end the lever 46 is provided with a depending portion 51 from which extends rearwardly a portion 52 on the rear end of which is an upstanding flange 53. Interposed between and pivotally connected to the plate portion 44 and the lever portion 52, as best shown in Figs. and 4-, is a toggle lever 54 rearward movement of which is limited by the said flange 53. Connected to and extending rearwardly from the said toggle lever 1s a rod 55 which 1s connected at its rear end to a lever 56 mounted or fulcrumed on a bracket 57 that is bolted or otherwise A retrac tile spring 58 interposed between and connected to the engine casing and the lower arm of the lever 56 serves to yieldingly hold the said lever in and to return the same ment willbe fully understood when it is stated that when he desires to start his-engine', the driver has only to-rock'the lever 9 so as to draw the cranking member" etrearwardly into connection with the'engine shaft and the gear 13-of" the spring-driven member. The operator then manipulates the lever 56 to place the locking lever 46 in engagement with the gear 6 and then oscillates the lever 34' the requisite number of times to placethespring 25 under the necessary tension. It will be readily understood that all that is necessary after the-operation described, in order to utilize the tensioned spring 25 and start the engine, is for the driver to manipulate the lever 56 so as to move the forward arm of the lever L6 downwardly and out of engagement with the gear 6. The expanding spring 25 will then turn the cranking member t to start the engine, and at that time the cranking member a will be thrust forwardly in the ordinary well known manner, with the result that the gear 6 will be carried out of engagement with the gear 13. It will be readily apparent from the foregoing that my improvement is susceptible of ready installation on automobiles such as already in use, and that the improvement is calculated to enable a driver with the expenditure of but little effort and without leaving his seat to expeditiously start the engine.

It will further be apparent that my improvement as a whole is simple and me pensive in construction, and is well adapted to withstand the rough usage to which automobile appurtenances are ordinarily subjected.

Having described my inventlon, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. In automobile engine starting means, the combination of an endwise movable cranking member equipped with a spur gear, manual means for retracting said member, a spring-driven member having a spur gear for engagement with that of the crank ng member, a shaft bearing a ratchet, a sprlng interposed between and connected with said shaft and the spring-driven member, a pawl for preventing retrograde rotation of the ratchet, a lever carrying a dog arranged to rotate the ratchet and place the spring under tension, locking means complementary to the first-named gear, and manual means for manipulating said locking means.

2. In automobile engine starting means, the combination of an endwise movable cranking member equipped with a spur gear,

a spring for forcing said member forwardly, a hand lever for drawing said member rearwardl saidhand lever'bein in] crumedat an intermediate'point of its lengthand having its lower arm connected with the cranking member, a spring arranged to cooperate with the lower end of'said lever to hold the cranking member against casual forward movement and to permit such forward movement when the engine starts, a spring-drivenmember including aspur gear to intermesh-with that of the cranking'member, ashaftbearing a-ratchet, a coiled-spring interposed between said shaft and driven member and connected at its ends to the same,a pawl for preventing retrograde rotation of the ratchet, a lever, a dog carried by the lever and engaging the ratchet to put thespring under tension, locking means complementary to the gear on the cranking member, and manually-operable means connected with said locking means.

3. In automobile engine starting means, the combination of a cranking member having a spur gear, a spring for forcing said member forwardly, manual means for retracting the member, spring-driven means including a spur gear for engagement with the first-named spur gear, manual means for putting the spring under tension, a plate having a bifurcation and a flange at one side thereof and also having a rearwardly directed portion, a locking lever fulcrumed to said plate and having an upwardly reaching toothed portion on its forward arm and also having a depressed rearwardly reaching portion on its rear arm and terminating in anupwardly extending flange, a toggle lever interposed between said rear portions of plate and lever, and manual means for controlling the said toggle lever.

4. In automobile engine starting means, the combination of a spring-driven member having a spur gear and a shaft and also having a knuckle at the rear end of said shaft, a cranking member having a gear movable into and out of engagement with the gear of the spring-driven member, manually controlled means for engaging the gear of the cranking member and locking the same, a shaft bearing a ratchet on its rear portion and having a knuckle on its forward portion, transmission means between said knuckles, a pawl for preventing retrograde rotation of the ratchet, and a lever having a center of movement coincident with that of the shaft and carrying a dog for rotating the ratchet step by step.

5. In automobile engine starting means, the combination with a driven starting shaft equipped with a spur gear, of an endwise movable cranking member having a spur gear movable into and out of mesh with the first-named gear, a lever, a connection between said lever and the cranking member, and a spring for cooperating with the lever to yieldingly hold the cranking member in engagement with the starting shaft and to permit forward movement of the cranking member when the engine starts.

6. In automobile engine starting means, the combination with a driven starting shaft equipped with a spur gear, of an endwise movable cranking member having a spur gear movable into and out of mesh with the first-named gear, a lever, a connection between said lever and the cranking member, and a spring for cooperating with the lever to yieldingly hold the cranking member in engagement with the starting shaft and to permit forward movement of the cranking member when the engine starts; said spring bearing against the lower end of said lever.

7. In automobile engine starting means, the combination of a rotary member equipped with a spur gear, a lever, a plate, a locking lever mounted to swing relatively 8. The combination of universal joints,

opposed shaft sections connected to the same, a core loosely interposed between said shaft sections, and a coiled spring surrounding the shaft section and core and connected at its ends to said shaft sections.

9. A bearing member applicable to an automobile and having apertures adjacent to one end and a' journal bearing extending transversely thereof and also having a pendent loop or stirrup at its opposite end.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

SAMUEL B. MoHENRY. 

